Genre
Political philosophy
Setting and Context
Set in the late 1700s
Narrator and Point of View
Caleb Williams is the novel's first-person narrator
Tone and Mood
The tone of this novel is philosophical.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Caleb Williams, and the antagonist is Falkland.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the novel is the murder of Tyrell.
Climax
The climax of the text is when Falkland accuses Caleb of stealing, and he goes on the run.
Foreshadowing
Falkland warns Caleb that his curiosity will lead to punishment, which it does.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
Caleb's name is an allusion to the biblical figure of Caleb.
Imagery
The text contains medieval imagery, as Falkland is a fan of medieval stories.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
The false accusation of Hawkins is parallelled with the false accusation of Caleb later in the novel.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Godwin refers to the "pen" as representing the written word.
Personification
Godwin personifies wealth as influencing the law.
